Thank you for supporting me towards my trip through Casa de Salud Peru!  Iquitos, Peru became my home for one week as I was warmly welcomed and kindly treated by all. Kerrylyn Rodriguez, founder of Casa de Salud, has been coordinating clinics there for 26 years.  The Peruvian people were absolutely gracious and treated me as a friend.  The hotel staff of Tanuka Inn worked hard, arrived early, cooked breakfast (with different freshly squeezed juices daily), cleaned, hauled our laundry, and stayed up late to accommodate any need.    How could I not feel as if I was at home?

My work with Casa de Salud Peru began Friday, July 6th with my arrival and 30 kilos of donations (nothing was taxed or taken by customs!) to the airport in Iquitos.  A motor cart, a Honda motor bike pulling a passenger cart, picked myself, travel companion, and 4 very large luggage pieces from the airport and zipped us through town to our hotel.  With all the donations I did not fully fit in the cart and took my first motor cart ride sitting askew!  The adventure really begins for me as I realize I had absolutely and totally no idea what I just signed up to do for the next week.  I knew I was going to use my knowledge and skills as a registered nurse to help with pop-up clinics in the area.  However, I did no research about Iquitos.  I still stand by this choice as I had no pre-conceived ideas of what the city was like.  I was able to objectively accept each experience without judgement.  I could focus my attention and energy on appreciating each person and the situation. 

The first clinic was in the Punchana area.  I helped with blood pressure and blood glucose screenings.  I worked alongside students from Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine working on their Doctrine degrees. Quick health assessments were taken during this time before seeing a doctor.  Other stations at each clinic site included:  reading glasses for those over 30 years, fluoride treatments for children, and a mobile pharmacy.  The clinics would serve as many as we had supplies to give.  I was hopeful we served all we could because patrons had cheered for us as we stepped off the bus and into the school which housed our clinic. 

The second day we went to the San Juan area.  I did the same station but this time worked with mostly pharmacy students from Midwest College and University of Illinois Chicago.  This day we tried to set up a few more spots to keep up with the flow of people.  During this clinic, I had trouble getting enough blood to read from the finger-sticks.  Dehydration due to no access to clean drinking water was the common reason.

 The third and fourth day we were in Belen (different spots both days). 

This area is dangerous as our translators and Peruvians helpers (more of minders)

prepped us to remove anything of value and to not wander away.  The third day

I was still at the same station but this time worked with non-medical volunteers from Freeport!  I helped get Sage, Megan, and Grace going on this station and stuck close if they needed help with getting enough blood, unusual blood pressure and blood glucose readings, and assessments.  These three gals did such a fantastic job and improvised so well, I hardly had to help.  As I stood by to help, I kept having a bump/punch-like feeling in my back and legs.  Nothing hurtful, like someone passing by and I was in the way. Every time I turned around, nothing was there.  Eventually, I started feeling little fingers running up my back.  This time, I turn around and I see a little girl who lives in the house behind our station.  This 5-year old girl starting playing a tag-like game with me until we both felt comfortable enough to sit and try to learn about the other.  She eventually taught me two hand-clapping games.  As the clinic progressed my new friend became my helper.  

The next day in Belen, I was at a new station, fluoride.  This was a nice change per Kerrylynn so I could experience all aspects of the clinic.  Being one of the few acting nurses, it was easy to leave me in the station with the nursing assessments.  The fluoride treatments involved putting a gel all over the teeth, telling the child “no tragues” (don’t swallow), counting to 10 in Spanish, and having them spit “escupe mas” (Spit) into a cup. It was fun to interact with the children.  During a slow time, I did a yoga pose (dancer).  Some children saw me and starting copying me.  In return, I did another pose.  They copied.  Eventually, we practiced a yoga sequence together.  This was a very humbling moment for me as I love to share yoga at home and I was able to share a practice with people I had never met, did not speak the same language as, and lived a life I was just beginning to understand. 

The last clinical day we headed 4 hours on the Amazon River to the jungle village of Esperanza.  At this clinic I sat with Kerrylyn as I listened to the patron’s concerns and wrote medicines to treat.  This was a challenging station for me as my medicinal background is primarily geriatric care and not general population.  I had to think quickly as I decided which of the medicines we brought would work the best.  My favorite case was helping a thirteen year old girl who needed reading glasses for school.  Just as any thirteen year old, she didn’t want glasses but knew they were helpful.  I tried to get her a cute pair so she wouldn’t feel self-conscious and would wear them.  It was late in the clinic and some of the options were more older and masculine looking.  I also worked closely with a translator who took her work as an English teacher seriously and was beyond awesome when helping us interview and ask leading questions to each person. 

The overall experience of the clinics was amazing.  Pastor Steve Newell of First Baptist in Mount Carroll told me there would be a lesson for me to learn and I would learn when the time was right.  It was on the third day of clinic in Belen I learned this lesson.  Each person I interacted with or who helped me was doing their best.  Everyone presented themselves nicely, spoke in a friendly manner, and was accepting of me and the rest of the medical team.  It made me want to be my best for them.  The lesson learned was we are all doing our best with what we have available. We want to be the best versions of ourselves and to do this we should reach out for help we needed and offer our help when we can. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this trip.  I would like to return in the future.  I thank you very much for your contribution and support to me.  I am humbled by the help.  I hope I was able to be a positive influence and representative of all those who kept me in mind. 

Much Love,

Laura Youngblut

Contact Casa de Salud Peru:

Kerrylyn Whalen Rodriguez

1251 W Stephenson St

Freeport, IL 61032

815-232-6648

cdsperu@yahoo.com

Facebook: Casa de Salud Peru